Four Ways to Stay Cool During Your Summer Wedding

Summer weddings can bring breathtaking sunsets, beautiful decor and themes, and irreplaceable memories. Unfortunately, they can also bring sweltering heat and discomfort. Luckily, there are a number of simple ways to beat the heat and enjoy your special day.

“Cool” Wedding Favors

Wedding favors can serve as a charming element your guests can take home with them to remember the special day, but favors can also bring thoughtful function in the summer heat. Talk to your planner about presenting guests with customized handheld fans with your last name in calligraphy on the handle, or even small paper parasols that match the color theme. This way you can keep your guests cool with personal touches that they can keep as a memento.

Serve It Seasonal

If your wedding is in the hot summer months, it’s important to keep this in mind when planning out the menu for the summer wedding. Most people don’t want to eat warm, hearty entrees in the 90-degree heat, and the summertime offers delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables. To start, guests can munch on a decorative watermelon sculpture and seasonal fruit display, or enjoy an hors d’oeuvres spread of bruschetta, which pairs nicely with a light white wine. Light, seasonal dishes like eggplant rollatini, North Atlantic salmon with herb roasted veggies, or chicken cooked with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes in a white wine sauce are crowd favorites. Of course there’s wedding cake for desert, but guests can still satisfy their sweet tooth with lighter fair with assorted French and Italian pastries.

Use the Time of Day in Your Favor

Summer weddings mean long days, and sunset often doesn’t begin until seven in the evening. Keep this in mind when planning your schedule, as four o’clock may be the hottest time of day. To avoid too much time in the sweltering sun, consider having an indoor ceremony for mid afternoon and an outdoor reception later in the day once the sun begins to set.

Dress for the Weather

You may have always pictured your perfect dress including a beautiful bouquet and floor-length gown, but it may be time to reconsider your dream. Short wedding dresses are quickly becoming more and more popular, and can be just as elegant, modest, and refined as full-length gowns. But, if you’re dedicated to keeping it fully formal, there’s a simple fix for this: keep the gown for the ceremony, and change into a similarly-styled short dress for the reception. This way, celebrating your most important day won’t be stilted by overheating.